Teixeira had crossed the plate twice previously after being walked in the first and third innings -- both times on doubles by center fielder Mike Floyd, who went 2-for-3 and scored the Gaels' third run on Joe Hargadon's third-inning single.

Teixeira's shot came shortly after Loyola had rallied for two runs to make it a 3-2 game in the home third. In that inning, Loyola got consecutive singles by Adam Rohr, Steve Pizik and Matt Heart -- the latter scoring Rohr -- before Pizik crossed the plate on starter Jeff Fertitta's sacrifice fly to right field.

After that, however, Gaels' right-hander Brian Hartman (2-1) retired 13 of the last 14 batters. Hartman walked only one batter -- in the first inning -- struck out three and allowed seven hits.

Loyola was coming off an upset of Riverdale Baptist, ranked No. 1 by the Washington Post and a team which handed St. Joe a season-opening loss. And Dons' coach Dave McCann told his team prior to the game that the switch-hitting "Teixeira wasn't going to be the one that beats us because he can hammer from both sides."

To that end, McCann had starting right-hander Fertitta "throwing pitches that were basically unhittable," according to Teixeira, before he drove Fertitta's offering into the right field trees.

"It was a curveball that didn't curve," said Teixeira, who was batting left-handed against Fertitta. "It was tired of walking. It was definitely a mistake."

Said the Virginia-bound Floyd: "We expect teams to try and walk Tex, but I've prepared for situations like those."

Afterward, McCann pointed to the visitor's third inning, in which Teixeira was safe on a delayed steal and took third base on an infield error.

"Our infielders had their heads down, didn't cover, so that was good coaching on the part of [St. Joe's] Dave Norton," McCann said.